Nanosatellites, CubeSats of the NewSpace Era for Space Observation 1 - Evolution of the Space Era and Mechanics of Things for CubeSats

Nanosatellites, CubeSats of the NewSpace Era for Space Observation 1 traces the evolution of space exploration, from 1957 and the first astronomical observations, to the NewSpace era. This book highlights major scientific and technological advances, while emphasizing the crucial role of collaboration between the public and private sectors.
The book explores the history of astronomy, from early observatories such as Goseck and Stonehenge, to modern satellites, and traces major theoretical revolutions, such as the adoption of the heliocentric model and the development of the laws of gravitation. It also looks at the development of celestial mechanics and the mathematical tools that enabled this evolution, while highlighting technological innovations in space research, from telescopes to space probes, satellites and nanosatellites.
This book also highlights the emergence of NewSpace, characterized by the growing involvement of the private sector in space exploration and the presence of key players. Finally, it stresses the importance of training and research to support these advances in a rapidly changing field.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Foreword ix
Philippe KECKHUT
Introduction xi
Chapter 1. The NewSpace Era 1
1.1. The space age and its evolutions 2
1.1.1. The first artificial satellites 2
1.1.2. Planet Earth and its near and distant environment 5
1.1.3. Exploring the near and distant Universe 5
1.1.4. Space activities 7
1.2. NewSpace in the 21st century 8
1.2.1. Development priorities for the NewSpace era 11
1.2.2. Research development 11
1.3. The space system 13
1.3.1. The system concept 14
1.3.2. Designing a space system 16
1.3.3. The two main sectors of a space system 16
1.4. Implementing a space project 17
1.4.1. The initial spatial project and management methods 17
1.4.2. Key issues from idea to realization 19
1.4.3. Academia and industry 20
1.4.4. Questions and steps once the project is defined 20
1.5. Building a spacecraft 25
1.5.1. Spacecraft subsystems 25
1.5.2. Example of an optical payload 26
1.6. The digital twin of a space vehicle 30
1.7. Conclusion 33
1.8. Appendix 34
1.8.1. Worldwide satellite development 34
1.8.2. Electromagnetic theory 36
1.8.3. Light-matter interaction 43
Chapter 2. Orbital Parameters of a CubeSat 51
2.1. Using conics to describe a satellite orbit 52
2.1.1. Conics 52
2.1.2. Observations, analyses and laws of physics 53
2.1.3. From Babylon's Goseck to Aristotle's Ancient Greece 53
2.1.4. Copernicus' heliocentric approach and Kepler's laws 54
2.1.5. The Galilean frame of reference and Galileo's principle of relativity 56
2.1.6. Newton's law of universal gravitation 58
2.1.7. Lagrange's and Hamilton's analytical mechanics 61
2.1.8. The principles of relativity and equivalence 64
2.2. Selecting orbital parameters 69
2.2.1. Keplerian parameters of a satellite's orbit around the Earth 69
2.2.2. The different types of orbit 72
2.2.3. Orbit parameters, beta angle and orbit eclipse duration 74
2.3. Conclusion 77
2.4. Appendix 78
2.4.1. Coordinate systems and point mechanics 78
2.4.2. Classical point mechanics 86
2.4.3. The metric tensor in general relativity 88
Chapter 3. Space Launchers for CubeSat Satellites 93
3.1. Propulsion systems and launch sites 93
3.2. Launcher selection and satellite orbiting 95
3.3. Important parameters for launcher selection. 102
3.4. Setting up and maintaining a satellite 106
3.4.1. CubeSat trajectory 114
3.5. Conclusion 115
3.6. Appendix 116
3.6.1. The mechanics of a solid body 116
3.6.2. Euler angles and rotation matrix 119
3.6.3. Quaternions 122
3.6.4. Lagrange points 124
3.6.5. Calculating the L1 and L2 Lagrange points of the Sun-Earth system 126
3.6.6. Center of inertia for a two-body system 130
3.6.7. SU(2) and SO(3) groups 133
Chapter 4. Designing a CubeSat 137
4.1. CubeSats, microsats, nanosats and picosats engineering systems 137
4.1.1. Systems approach and engineering 137
4.1.2. Key satellite design parameters 139
4.1.3. CubeSat design requirements and constraints 140
4.2. CubeSat structure 141
4.3. CubeSat mission implementation 148
4.4. Communications and ground connections 148
4.5. CubeSat architecture 153
4.5.1. Mechanical architecture of a CubeSat 154
4.5.2. Materials for mechanical architecture 158
4.5.3. The environment of mechanical architecture 160
4.5.4. Dimensions of mechanical architecture 162
4.6. Conclusion 169
4.7. Appendix 169
4.7.1. Elastic and thermal properties of a physical system 169
4.7.2. Finite element method (FEM) 174
4.7.3. Modal analysis of structural components 182
4.7.4. UVSQ-SAT production phases 186
Conclusion 189
References 191
Index 205

Über den Autor / die Autorin

Pierre Richard Dahoo is Professor at Versailles Saint-QuentinenYvelines/ Université Paris-Saclay, France, and Researcher at LATMOS. He is the author of several books on nanotechnologies and infrared spectroscopies applied to space. He also chairs the Physics and Optics without Borders Commission of the French Physical Society.
Mustapha Meftah holds a doctorate in geosciences and is an astrophysicist specializing in atmosphere-climate relations. He is a graduate engineer in aeronautics and space, with several CubeSats in orbit to his credit. He teaches at Paris-Saclay University, France, on the challenges of space and the new applications linked to NewSpace.
Abdelkhalak El Hami is Professor at INSA Rouen Normandie, France. He is responsible for several European educational projects and is a specialist in fluid-structure interaction problems and the reliability of multiphysics systems. He is also the author of numerous books in the field.

Produktdetails

• Autoren: Pierre Richard Dahoo, Pierre Richard (Universite Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Dahoo, Abdelkhalak El Hami, Abdelkhalak (INSA Rouen El Hami, Mustapha Meftah, Mustapha (Paris-Saclay University Meftah
• Verlag: ISTE Ltd.
• Sprache: Englisch
• Produktform: Fester Einband
• Erscheint: 01.02.2026
• EAN: 9781836690214
• ISBN: 978-1-83669-021-4
• Seiten: 224
• Serie: ISTE Invoiced
• Thema: Naturwissenschaften, Medizin, Informatik, Technik > Technik > Maschinenbau, Fertigungstechnik